A commonly held opinion in the sport of archery is that arrows are the most important part of an archer's equipment. In keeping with this viewpoint, arrows for the serious archer are manufactured to exacting standards and in a range of design parameters to accommodate the physical characteristics of an individual. Since the physical strength of an archer also influences the selection of a bow, which is available in various pulling weights, this too affects arrow performance. The pulling weight represents the force required for a full draw of an arrow of predetermined length for use with the bow and establishes the initial velocity which affects the ballistic characteristics of the arrow. Depending upon the physical strength of the individual, a full draw force may vary from as little as 12 pounds for target shooting over short distances to weights of from 40 to 100 pounds for hunting large game.
A full draw of the arrow is necessary for consistency in shooting over either long or short distances. As a result, it is important to select an arrow of the proper length that would be best suited to the individual. In this regard, the length of the arrow required will vary according to the arm length of the individual which is directly proportionate to height. Arrows are therefore available in various lengths from about 24 inches to 32 inches to accommodate individuals. Both crossbows as well as longbows equipped with an "overdraw" feature allow use of still shorter arrows which are in a range from about 20 inches to 30 inches with corresponding bolts for the crossbows in a range from about 12 to 15 inches. Varying lengths, of course, result in varying arrow weights which affect performance.
Bows used in hunting are generally of heavy pulling weight in order to impart an arrow with higher initial velocity so as to achieve a flatter trajectory and increased flight range. Since shooting ranges commonly vary from point blank to about 200 yards, it is essential that manufacturing tolerances for arrows be strictly maintained in order to provide the hunter with consistency in shooting over long or short distances.
As expected, weight is a critical factor in determining the dynamics of arrow flight and subsequent accuracy of a shot. The weight factor, moreover, presents a serious problem for hunting arrows which are trackable by means of radio signals that emanate therefrom. The principal reason is that a hunting arrow of this type is overweight initially since it includes a radio transmitter and a battery to provide a source of operating voltage, as well as one or more antennas, a combination that is well known in the art. Examples of this type of arrow structure may be readily seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,858,935 Capson, 4,885,800 Raggle, 4,704,612 Boy et al and 5,024,447 Jude, to list but a few instances.
Having regard to the aforedescribed factors that influence performance of an arrow, it is apparent that weight reduction is of particular significance in achieving accuracy and consistency in archery.